Reading food labels is important if you want to understand your food and beverage consumption. You will learn how much of an ingredient a product contains and which products you might want to avoid. Ingredients on a food label are listed in order from most prevalent to least prevalent.
Sugars
Sugar comes in many forms when listed on a food label. In addition to "sugar" being listed in the ingredients, be aware of other words that mean sugar. Sugar forms include unrefined corn syrup, sorghum, concentrated fruit juice, honey, molasses, invert sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Sugar substitutes such as sorbitol, mannitol, lactitol and saccharin might be listed, according to the website cspinet.org. Other forms of sugar include those ending in "ose," such as maltose, glucose, dextrose, fructose and lactose, according to the United States Agriculture Department.
Trans Fats
Fats are another area in which several listings are possible. Trans fats are an area of deep concern. According to the American Heart Association, a product might contain trans fats even though the nutrient breakdown states "0" trans fats. If the ingredients state there are "partially hydrogenated oils" or "shortening," the food might contain trans fats in an amount that is less than 0.5g.
Additives
Many ingredients on food labels include natural or artificial additives. Additives can prolong the shelf life of foods, as in preservatives, or enhance the taste, as in monosodium glutamate. Sugar and salt can be used as additives, according to the USDA. Additives can also add color, improve food texture and provide thickness as in vegetable gums, such as guar gum, according to cspinet.org. Examples of additives include lecithin, sulfur dioxide plus natural and artificial flavorings. Food acids can be added to preserve foods, add antioxidants and enhance flavors. Examples of acids used as additives include vinegar, citric acid, malic acid, tantric acid, lactic acid and tartaric acid, according to the USDA.
Salt
Salt is another ingredient that can be listed in a variety of forms. Salt can be either naturally occurring or added to the food, according to the American Heart Association. If you need to monitor your salt intake, you need to be aware of how it is listed on a food label. Table salt is sodium chloride, which is usually listed as salt in the ingredients list. Other forms of sodium include sodium caseinate, sodium erythorbate and sodium phosphate.
Subingredients
Sometimes foods listed in the nutrients list are created from a variety of items. When that happens, you will see a list of ingredients listed in parentheses. For instance, when a product contains some bacon, you might see (cured with water, salt, sodium phosphate, sugar, brown sugar, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, flavorings). You need to be aware of which ingredients make up another more prevalent ingredient to ascertain whether you can properly fit the food into your meal plan.
References
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference; Release 20, USDA; 2008
- American Heart Association
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